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Real Time Syndromic Surveillance Response to UK Flooding Incident 2007

Description

Wetter and stormier weather is predicted in the UK as global temperatures rise. It is likely there will be increases in river and coastal flooding. The known short and medium term health effects of flooding are drowning, injury, acute asthma, skin rashes and outbreaks of gastrointestinal and respiratory disease. Longer term health effects of flooding are thought to be psychological stress and increased rates of mental illness. Reacher et al. conducted a retrospective study of illness in a population affected by flooding in Lewes, South-East England during 2000 [1]. They found a significant raised risk of earache (RR=2.2) and gastroenteritis (RR=1.7) for flooded households. More striking was the higher level of psychological distress experienced by these residents (RR=4.1), which may have also explained some of the excess physical illness.

Objective

This paper describes the results of prospective real time syndromic surveillance conducted during a national flooding incident during 2007 in the UK.

Submitted by elamb on